This invention relates generally to size sensing devices and particularly to a device for indicating the size of an object.
The automatic processing and handling of manufactured objects frequently requires a knowledge of the size of the object being handled. An example is the manufacture and handling of kinescopes for color television receivers. Typically, in the manufacture of such kinescopes, tubes of various sizes move along a conveyor system to the various operating stations. The kinescopes come in varying sizes, such as 25, 26 and 27 inch diagonals, (63.5, 66, and 68.5 cm) and the various sizes are randomly disposed along the conveyor. For these reasons when a tube is to be placed into a processing, or testing, fixture it is typically necessary to place the kinescope in a fixture designed for a particular size kinescope. Accordingly, with automatic processing, it typically is necessary to sense the size of the kinescope to ensure that the kinescope is placed into a holding fixture which is designed to hold a particular size kinescope. For fully automatic processing it is necessary that the information relative to the size of the object being processed is provided automatically, rather than visually by an operator.
For these reasons there is a need for a device for indicating the size of an object being centered in a holding fixture by a centering mechanism. The present invention fulfills this need.